Towards the end of the 18th century, Poland was divided up between Russia, Austria and Prussia. The part annexed by Austria was known as Galicia and it included Kraków. The Kazimierz Galicia Museum (www.galiciajewishmuseum.org), which takes its name from that region, was opened officially on June 27, 2004 and since then, has attracted great international attention. Few years ago Dick Cheney held a reception at the museum for U.S. Holocaust survivors. Elie Wiesel, a veteran campaigner on Holocaust issues, also attended.

The museum’s initial purpose was to exhibit photographs taken by the late Chris Schwarz over a ten-year period. At the time he was a professional and award-winning photographer, then he was the founder, owner and director of the museum. Having discovered a suitable building, it seemed natural to add a café and a bookshop. Then, Chris also decided to put on cultural events, a practice that has continued under the Museum’s new directorship since his death on July 29, 2007 of cancer: every month, there are concerts, lectures, dance workshops and lessons in Hebrew and Yiddish. The museum is at ul. Dajwór 18, and you can get there by walking towards the Old Synagogue on ul. Szeroka, then turning left down a short road and then turning right into ul. Dajwór. The museum is about 80 metres down the street on the left.

The main exhibit is the Traces of Memory permanent exhibition, which shows some of the photographs Chris took. It is divided into five sections: the ruins, the original culture, the horror of destruction, efforts to preserve traces of memory and the people involved. Some of the images are positive. One shows a small clump of trees in the middle of an area of cultivated land. The local people know that beneath the trees lies a Jewish cemetery; they respect the sanctity of the area. Another picture provokes both sadness and anger: it shows Jewish tombstones used to pave the entrance to a private dwelling.

For Chris the museum’s activities gave rise to a troubling, even tormenting, question: How can there be Jewish culture without Jews? If young Poles play Jewish music or learn Hebrew or Yiddish from a Polish teacher, is that Jewish culture? The harsh truth is that such things can never be more than a pale shadow of what existed before, but the alternative is to let the elements of culture preserved at the museum die and become forgotten in Kazimierz. The Jewish community is ageing and within ten to fifteen years there may be no genuine Jewish presence in Kraków. It can be argued that a pale shadow is better than total erasure. After all, as Henryk Halkowski – a surviving Kraków Jew – said, “(The) Jews are gone. One can only try to preserve, maintain and fix the memory of them – not only of their struggle and death (as in Warsaw and Auschwitz), but of their life, of the values that guided their yearnings, of the international life and their unique culture. (Kraków) was one of the places where that life was most rich, most beautiful, most varied, and the most evidence of it has survived here.”

Really great place to visit if you are interested in Jewish history. Anyone has been there recently?

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

The Augustów Canal (Kanał Augustowski) was already flowing through dense primeval forest and meadows, while its younger sisters the Suez and Panama were still just a blueprint. The canal is a living relic to Europe’s turbulent history that has seen empires rise and fall. It was built in the early nineteenth century and its raison d’etre was to bypass taxes at a time when the Polish kingdom was squeezed between two of Europe’s most powerful empires; Prussia and Imperial Russia.

Augustów Canal is maturing into one of the most attractive canals in Europe. Flowing through the Puszcza Augustowska, Poland’s largest forest complex, you can easily canoe down this route during spring and autumn, and are more likely to come into contact with wildlife rather than other humans, as you paddle along the waterways. The canal does not form a continuously straight route with regular banks – it is unique in that it flows through a variety of lakes, some large, some small, and that it continues its way through the royal town of Augustów and eventually onto the Biebrza National Park, forming part of the famous papal canoe route.

The canal adjoins several nature reserves which form part of Natura 2000, a network of ecologically protected areas, which means that there is no disturbance from barges or mechanical water traffic. The lock keepers’ cottages, probably some of the most attractive in Europe, are listed buildings and are located deep in the forest.

The canal is now settling down into old age with grace and beauty; it has been through war and destruction and now is the time to enjoy and explore it. There is however one final hurdle, or some may say ‘opportunity,’ to overcome as with most things in life: the canal is approximately 100 kilometres long and has 18 locks along its entire length; however three locks and about 2 kilometres of the canal are located in Belarus, and form the only border crossing in Europe which has been specially created for canoeists. This border is presently tightly controlled and a visa is required to travel further along the canal, however this may change at some point in the future. Belarus may eventually join the EU, which would mean that one could paddle all the way from Augustów to the Baltic via Belarus and Lithuania, and the canal will once again receive the international recognition that it deserves, and may even become listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

Well, I just heard latest news about it…”Flowers, teddy bears and candles are piling up in a southern Polish park where a mother buried her child and then sparked a nationwide search by falsely claiming she had been kidnapped”.

The child’s 22-year-old mother Katarzyna Waśniewska was arrested Saturday after she confessed that the baby died when it slipped from her hands and hit its head.

On Jan. 24, Waśniewska claimed she was attacked in the street in the family’s hometown of Sosnowiec and the baby taken from her. A nationwide appeal (ogólnopolski apel) was made for clues (wskazówki) and witnesses (świadkowie), and the child’s family posted leaflets with Madzia’s picture around the neighborhood.

Police found the baby’s body on Saturday hidden under stones and leaves in the park in Sosnowiec.

The place has since been covered with hundreds of flowers, toys and candles. Such a sad story.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

More and more beer-drinkers around the world are developing a taste for Tyskie, which has contributed to the rapid export growth of the Tyskie brand, which is now considered Poland’s leading export beer brand. This is not only down to the large number of devoted Polish consumers who now live outside Poland remaining loyal to their favourite beer – they have also inspired their friends and colleagues to drink Tyskie. Each year, the list of countries where Tyskie is available gets longer and longer… starting with United States of America and Canada, through Holland, France, Iceland to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and China. More important still, Tyskie is constantly more often chosen by native Europeans – even without being recommended by Polish friends.

Taking a look at the numbers, since being introduced to the Irish market, Tyskie’s sales have increased by an astonishing 400%. In Ireland, Tyskie has a 73% share in total Polish beer brands purchased. This shows the scale of Tyskie’s appreciation outside of Poland.

Kompania Piwowarska is the largest brewer in Poland. Hundreds of years of experience in beer brewing, state-of-the-art technology and rigorous adherence to the World Class Manufacturing principles guarantee the highest quality beer. The company’s product portfolio includes Tyskie – Poland’s favourite beer, Żubr – the second largest Polish brand of beer, Lech, Dębowe Mocne, Pilsner Urquell, Redd’s, Dog in the Fog, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Miller Genuine Draft. Kompania Piwowarska was established in 1999 as a result of a merger of Tyskie Browary Książęce and Lech Browary Wielkopolski.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

More and more beer-drinkers around the world are developing a taste for Tyskie, which has contributed to the rapid export growth of the Tyskie brand, which is now considered Poland’s leading export beer brand. This is not only down to the large number of devoted Polish consumers who now live outside Poland remaining loyal to their favourite beer – they have also inspired their friends and colleagues to drink Tyskie. Each year, the list of countries where Tyskie is available gets longer and longer… starting with United States of America and Canada, through Holland, France, Iceland to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and China. More important still, Tyskie is constantly more often chosen by native Europeans – even without being recommended by Polish friends.

Taking a look at the numbers, since being introduced to the Irish market, Tyskie’s sales have increased by an astonishing 400%. In Ireland, Tyskie has a 73% share in total Polish beer brands purchased. This shows the scale of Tyskie’s appreciation outside of Poland.

Kompania Piwowarska is the largest brewer in Poland. Hundreds of years of experience in beer brewing, state-of-the-art technology and rigorous adherence to the World Class Manufacturing principles guarantee the highest quality beer. The company’s product portfolio includes Tyskie – Poland’s favourite beer, Żubr – the second largest Polish brand of beer, Lech, Dębowe Mocne, Pilsner Urquell, Redd’s, Dog in the Fog, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Miller Genuine Draft. Kompania Piwowarska was established in 1999 as a result of a merger of Tyskie Browary Książęce and Lech Browary Wielkopolski.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Supper  - that’s usually the order.

Many British business people are caught out by the Polish second breakfast tradition. They decline the first because it’s too early and are ‘faint with lack of nourishment’ by the second. It’s just the Polish way of doing things. After a light breakfast, called śniadanie, before leaving home for work in the early morning, Poles eat a second breakfast any time between 10 am and 1 pm, which replaces the British lunch, and then work straight through until they finish work.

In fact, most people stay at the office during the British lunch hour and are not in the habit of going out to buy something to eat; they bring whatever they fancy eating for ‘second breakfast’ from home. The lunch culture is spreading more widely now, because there are more representatives of foreign businesses, particularly in large cities, where business culture is changing and more people work with foreigners.

Lunch, in fact called “obiad”, is usually eaten at home with family any time between 4 pm and 5.30 pm, and the hours depend on how quickly one gets back home. Some non-Polish business people admit to being caught out by this. The answer, when you know it, is simple. Have a good breakfast and take a piece of fruit or a snack to keep you going. Poles have another meal after their lunch “obiad” meal, called “kolacja”, which means supper. It is a light meal, usually a small sandwich or snack with tea any time in the evening.

So, in fact, if you are invited to a restaurant for a meal it could be either “obiad”, a midday meal ( a substitute for a late lunch) or “kolacja”, supper in the evening , both of which will be very elaborate and rich, as Poles are known for their hospitality not only at their homes but also when inviting guests to restaurants.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

The 88-year-old poet had been afflicted with lung cancer. Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on Twitter that her death was an “irreparable loss to Poland’s culture.”

When Szymborska was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1996, the committee cited her “for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality.”

Szymborska published her first book of poetry in 1952. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. “I prefer the absurdity of writing poems to the absurdity of not writing poems,” she once said.

In 1996, after the Nobel announcement, the Times’ Warsaw bureau chief, Dean E. Murphy, spoke to Szymborska — “a retiring woman with wispy gray hair who cherishes her solitude” — about her work. “The award came as a surprise to Szymborska, and most everyone else in Poland, not because she is considered unworthy, but because her poetry speaks mostly to universal themes rather than the parochial political subjects that have distinguished Eastern European verse since World War II,” he wrote.

“In her poems we could find brilliant advice which made the world easier to understand” – the presidential couple added.

Last year, President Bronisław Komorowski honoured Wisława Szymborska with Poland’s highest distinction, The Order of the White Eagle, in recognition of her contribution to her country’s culture.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

While a cutlery set can refer to general tableware containing a variety of table items, it can also refer to a set of different types of knives and knives only. This is actually the original, literal meaning of the term cutlery, although the category has become a lot broader now. The different types of knives in these cutlery sets include steak knives, carving knives, chef’s knives, pairing knives, bread knives, and more. These are more specifically referred to as kitchen cutlery because they are used in the preparation of food rather than for dining.

Here are few different things you can find in the kitchen:

sztućce stołowe – tableware

łyżka – spoon

widelec – fork

nóż – knife

silikonowy pędzel kuchenny - Silicone kitchen brush

dziadek do orzechów – nut cracker

durszlak - colander

sitko – strainer

tarka – grate

szczypce - tongs

tłuczek do mięsa – meat pounder

praska – press (for example garlic press)

otwieracz – opener

deska do krojenia – cutting board

szpatułka – spatula

wyciskacz do cytrusów – citrus juicer

tłuczek do ziemniaków – potato crusher

miarki – measurement scoops

korkociąg - corkscrew

Łyżki do sałaty – salad spoons

Łyżka do sosów – sauce spoon

Łyżka wazowa - soup-ladle

skrobaczka do warzyw – vegetable peeler

And here is more visual version:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think I got most of in here, if I missed something, please let me know:)

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

Thousands fans arrived on Sunday and were given the chance to see Polish pop acts including VooVoo i Haydamaky, Zakopower, Coma, T. Love and Lady Pank.

The 50,000-seat arena, which will also host a semifinal, was built on the site of the old 10th Anniversary Stadium, which had stood since 1955 and welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1983.

The opening of the new stadium — originally planned for last June — had been repeatedly put off because construction experts and firefighters were finding work incomplete or needing improvement, including faulty outside stairs.

Take a look at the November blog:

Foldable roof in National Stadium in Warsaw

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a

Today I will show you an example of 2 different fruits and how we call what is inside of them.

Sometimes you need to describe a part of fruit and if you will have to do it in Polish, here are some words you may use:

skórka – skin

miąższ - flesh

nasienie - seed

pestka – pith, pip

szypułka, (also called ogonek) – petiole

ogryzek – core

gniazdo nasienne – seed slot

łuski – husks

pęcherzyki z sokiem – juice vesicles

rdzeń owocowy – fruit core

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

a